The present invention relates to devices for estimating the range of a struck ball. Specifically the present device utilizes velocity measurements to estimate the range of a ball, such as a football.
Heretofore, many devices have been made that measure the speed of a ball. For example, radar devices are frequently used to measure the speed of a pitched baseball or a served tennis ball. Such devices are useful for training as well as measuring performance during competition. However, for football, soccer, rugby, and other similar sports, it is desirable to measure range rather than speed. For example, in football, the ability to estimate the distance a kicker will kick a football could be critical to winning a game. There are, however, no devices in the prior art that can be used to estimate the range of a larger ball, such as a football, soccer ball, or the like, by accounting for all the relevant factors that will affect the range.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,922 to Santavaci discloses a cage having velocity sensing devices to sense the speed of a struck golf ball. A display displays either the speed of the ball or an estimated distance based on an assumed entry angle. The drawback to such a system is that because the entry angle is assumed, variations in the range caused by trajectory are ignored. While the effect of the entry angle may be negligible for balls with low mass and low volume, such as golf balls, the entry angle effect often cannot be neglected for balls with larger mass and larger volume, such as footballs and soccer balls. Moreover, the device of Santavaci does not include a means for varying the range estimate based on the user and environmental conditions. While factors unique to the user and the environmental conditions, such as wind speed and direction, may be negligible for golf balls, such factors can affect the range of larger balls.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,602 to Witler et al. discloses a golfing apparatus for estimating the range of a golf ball. Again, however, the device of Witler is uniquely adapted for golf by using the ball speed and a weighting factor based on the golf club to estimate the range. The drawback is that in the preferred embodiment, the entry angle is not measured but built into the weighting factor based on the club used. Thus, inaccuracies may occur in the estimated range.
It can be seen that there is a need in the art for a device that may be used to estimate the range of a moving ball.
The present invention includes a backstop, optionally a net mounted on a frame. The invention further includes at least one velocity measuring device, such as a radar gun. The velocity measuring device communicates with a data processor having at least one data structure. The data processor also communicates with a display. In one optional embodiment, the processor receives at least a velocity signal and a trajectory signal from the velocity measuring device. Alternatively, the data processor may receive at least a horizontal velocity signal and a vertical velocity signal from the velocity measuring device. Based on these measurements, the data processor calculates the range of the ball using equations known in the art that are stored in the data structure. The data processor displays the calculated range at the display.
In an alternate embodiment, the data structure stores a database storing velocity, trajectory, and associated range data, or alternatively horizontal velocity, vertical velocity, and associated range data. Upon receiving the speed and trajectory measurements, or in an alternate optional embodiment the horizontal speed and vertical velocity measurements, the processor extrapolates from the database an estimated range.
The data processor additionally communicates with an input device that allows the user to input at least one environmental condition. The data processor factors the environmental condition into the estimated range. Additionally, in an optional embodiment, the data processor may allow input of a weighting factor to account for unique user characteristics.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for measuring the velocity of a struck ball and estimating the range of the ball based on the measurements.